And this latitude should not give anxiety to any good mind: for we serve a most equitable Master. But neither should it give encouragement to bad minds; and make them imagine, that where nothing is ascertained, they may do just as little as they please. For God will expect from every one, what may be reasonably expected from them: and hath left this matter at large, that we may shew, not our backwardness to serve him, but our zeal. Imprudent zeal he never approves : but goodness, confined within the bounds of discretion, is always more acceptable to him, in proportion as it is more abundant. And, though not every failure in degree shall expose us to punishment; yet he which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly: and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully *.

However unactive therefore we may naturally be; yet, as persons intrusted by the Lord of all, it imports us greatly to be diligent. For industry is a valuable part of faithfulness: and slothful servants will be considered, in the day of judgment, as wicked ones t. Some ways of doing good may possibly be less pleasing to us: some persons our prejudices, our passions, or interests, would tempt us to overlook, rather than serve and some things, that are only seeming instances of benevolence, we should be willing to mistake for real ones; and indulge a false good-nature, without regard to consequences, however bad. But when we consider, that in all these cases we are to act for God; this makes a very great change in the view of things: and may both oblige us at some times to do with our might ‡, what perhaps we could least have wished; and restrain us, at others, from doing at all, what injudiciously we * 2 Cor. ix. 6. + Matt. xxv. 26. ↑ Eccles. ix. 10.

should have desired the most. Another important use of looking upon ourselves in this light, is, that how great soever our talents may be, and how right soever the use that we make of them; it must still be the strongest reason possible for humility, one of the most excellent of virtues, to think, that all we have is given us, and all we do is but ministering. Then, at the same time that our being intrusted will teach us these things, our being jointly intrusted will teach us another: never to invade each other's province, nor stretch ourselves beyond our measure*; but as God hath distributed to every man, so to walk † : for he is not the author of confusion, but of peace. God is the judge, and a much better surely than we, what employment is fittest for each of his servants: and how enterprising soever any of us may be now, or how discontented soever with the narrowness of our own sphere of action: we may have cause enough to be glad at last, that no more was committed to our care. Yet these reflections must not be carried to such a length, as to let the business of our common Master suffer, under pretence of its belonging, not to us, but our fellow-servant; when there is no impropriety, but only somewhat more labour or expence, in stepping a little out of our way, to prevent the ill consequences of another's neglect. It must be owned a difficult matter, not to mistake in these cases on one side or the other: but involuntary mistakes will never be imputed to us. It must be owned a very serious thing, to be stewards of God: but it is a very noble one, to be employed under our heavenly Father in the work, that he delights in most; and for the happiness of our brethren, perhaps to all eternity. If indeed we are found, instead of this, either hiding * 2 Cor. x. 14. +1 Cor. vii. 17. 1 Cor. xiv. 33.

the talents committed to us *, or wasting our Master's goods t, or misusing those to whom we ought to have ministered ; then miserable will our condition be, when God shall say to us, Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward §. But on the other hand our comfort is, that a sincere endeavour to discharge our office as we ought, whatever our imperfections be, shall entitle us to the sentence, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord ||

With the impression therefore of these reflections upon our minds, let us now proceed to enquire,

II. What influence the thought, that we are stewards of the manifold grace of God, should have upon us, with respect to those particular methods of doing good, which are the occasion of our present meeting.

Now these are of three sorts, which indeed comprehend almost the whole of public charity: places of maintenance and instruction for children; hospitals for the sick; and houses of correction and work for the dissolute and idle.

Relieving poor parents from the burden of a family, which they are unable to support, must needs be a most welcome charity to them; and is evidently a very useful one to the public: for it tends to the future increase of the community, as well as to make the present members of it happy. And teaching poor children religion and virtue, one should think were plainly a beneficial thing too. For let it prove ineffectual as often as it will; they must be a little more likely to abstain from what is wrong, for being taught what is right. Some principles, some notions

Matt. xxv. 18. + Luke xvi. 1.
§ Luke xvi. 2.

Matt. xxiv. 49. Matt. xxv. 23.

of life and behaviour, they will learn: which then would you have them learn, good or bad? They may indeed possibly learn bad things mixed with good, under the notion of religion. But considering the purity, in which religion is professed amongst us, there cannot well be much of this kind; and there needs not be any thing. Some persons, however, appear to have great fears of superstition; and no fears of any thing else. But do they really find in fact, that this is the reigning and dangerous error of the present age? Is it with superstition, that your servants, and your children as they grow up, and the generality of the people, are infected; or is it not with profligateness: such open and avowed contempt of the laws of God and man, of all sobriety and order, as this nation hath never known before, nor can long subsist under an increase of it? But if you are in earnest afraid of superstition; be afraid where you have cause of fear. There is a real, and a dreadful superstition gaining ground, that of the church of Rome. And the more ignorant men are of all religion, and the more prejudiced against their own form and their own teachers of religion; the more easily they are won over into that most corrupt and formidable communion. Think then, I intreat you, what would our condition be; should ever the main part of this nation become, one half papists, and the other profligates! For as to the scheme of virtue without religion: even if it could be put in practice, yet there is a God, and he ought to be feared; and there is a support in piety, of which mankind ought not to be deprived. But whoever knows any thing of the world, must see, that such a scheme can never be put in practice: that human nature hath daily need, both to be restrained from evil, and excited to

good, in cases where none but religious motives can do either effectually. And as these have been constantly found necessary, in all ages and countries whatever: so they are certainly of the most indispensable necessity, where incentives to vice are in the greatest abundance, and liberty is the least controlled by law.

But to return. Together with the general rules of their duty, these children are taught such other knowledge, as may qualify them for employments fitted to their station: and then put out to such employments; with a further assistance, where it is requisite, of some little matter to begin with, towards gaining a livelihood. And this also surely must be of public benefit. Were they indeed either taken or kept away from other business, more useful, or in which hands are more wanted; were they raised, without visible merit, above their original rank, into one of less labour or more knowledge, to the prejudice of those, who were by birth their superiors: such things would be just objections, though not to the institution of these schools, yet to the management of them. But when only the parents are kept from distress, and the children from idleness or wicked courses; when care is taken, to choose them from a condition suitable to that, for which they are designed; and neither in their manner of living, nor their instruction, to set them above that: every one will allow, it would be excellent private charity, to do this for a child; and why not as good public charity, to do it for many children; since the greater the number is, the less in proportion the expence ?

The second method of doing good, before us at present, is that of hospitals for the sick. And what